Welcome to the forum, akilheffer. I basically studied from one summer to the next spring before getting my primary hives. I did buy a nuc of bees from my mentor's best friend for $10 in December (you can do that in Alabama, the weather cooperates a lot of the time ;) )...they had a bad hankering for me to have bees. :)
Study up and figure out what you *think* your ultimate goal and path is. Just a few of the questions you might consider... Do you want to make honey or bees?...Starting with packages, nucs, caught swarms/cut-outs, or established colonies? How many hives do you plan to start with (usual recommendation is a minimum of two so you can compare them to each other....don't overload your wagon, though)?.....(hint, plan for a few unexpected extras! ;)? 8-frame or 10-frame...all mediums or a mix of deeps and mediums? Etc.,.
Use this time wisely and you will be ahead of the game.
Best wishes...and have fun on your journey,
Ed